


Let It Snow

by joss80



Category: NCIS
Genre: Angst, First Time, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Humor, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-18
Updated: 2013-12-18
Packaged: 2018-01-05 02:48:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1088691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joss80/pseuds/joss80
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s the snowstorm of the year, and most of D.C. and the surrounding areas lose power. Tony heads to Gibbs’ place because he has a wood-burning fireplace, which means warmth. Interesting times and revelations ensue....</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for tibbs_yuletide on Livejournal  
> The beginning of this fic assumes Tony is still taking the bus to work, as is current with the first part of Season 11

Tony DiNozzo shook his coat off as he pushed through the door of his apartment building, heavy flakes of snow still clinging determinedly to his short hair and his boots. He said a silent prayer of thanks to the universe for the team being stuck with cold cases all week, as Gibbs had been feeling generous and had sent everyone home early because of the worsening winter storm. _And what a storm it was becoming_ , he thought, as he turned and watched his bus merge back onto the road and quickly out of sight as it became shrouded in white.

Once in his apartment, he clicked on the TV and flopped down onto his couch. All the channels were filled with blizzard warnings and accident coverage instead of the usual Thursday afternoon programming, and he soon got tired of hearing reporters imploring him to “be prepared” and switched the TV back off. He headed into his kitchen for a caffeine fix, and had just got the coffee machine started when his apartment was plunged into darkness.

“Oh no no no!” he hissed, and grimaced as it dawned on him just how unprepared he was for a power outage. He had almost no food – none that didn’t require things like boiling water or a hot frying pan, at least – and no way to keep decently warm. He thought wistfully for a moment about how nice and toasty Gibbs was going to be, sitting in front of his wood-burning fireplace.

“Ding, ding, ding, DiNozzo!” he yelled, giving a whoop of excitement and a mental pat on the back for his brilliant idea. All he had to do was head over to Gibbs’ place and he would be nice and warm. And hopefully fed. And possibly even cozied up next to the man himself….

He gave himself a headslap for that one. _In your dreams, buddy_ , he chastised his wandering thoughts as he went about packing up some warm clothes in to a backpack. Gibbs had only ever talked about women, just like Tony did, and he’d certainly married enough of them. Tony couldn’t help but wonder at the intense looks Gibbs gave him sometimes though. And although he knew _he_ hadn’t seriously looked at any other men before, to him Gibbs was sex on… 

“Get it together, DiNozzo!” he berated himself half-heartedly, “It’s gonna be a long, cold night.” He grabbed his flashlight, water bottle and a few granola bars and stuffed them into the bag before zipping it up, then suited up in his winter gear and headed out the door, eagerly awaiting the next bus heading in the direction of Gibbs’ house.

* * * * *

Two hours, one jammed highway, and three buses later, Tony found himself knocking on Gibbs’ front door. It seemed that most of the city was without power, and Gibbs’ neighbourhood was no exception. Usually he would have headed right in and down to the basement, but he doubted Gibbs would be there in the darkness, and besides, he didn’t know how Gibbs might react to someone trying to get into his house in the middle of a blizzard. 

A very casually-dressed Gibbs answered to door two minutes later, no parka or mittens or woollen socks in sight.

“Tony?” he asked, squinting out at the darkness and the snowsuit-covered figure in front of him.

“Hey Boss,” Tony puffed, the cold air making a little ball of white mist in front of his face as he exhaled. It was quickly swept away in the wind. “Can I come in?”

“What the hell do you think?” Gibbs replied gruffly as he turned back into his house and disappeared into the candle-lit kitchen. Tony could hear Gibbs rummaging around in the freezer as he shut the door and stripped off his warm outer clothes. By the time he was done, Gibbs had re-appeared with a still-frozen steak and placed it in front of the fire next to one that was already there, presumably defrosting. The men assessed each other as they stood there in almost identical pairs of sweatpants and sweatshirts, until Tony broke the silence.

“My power is out and it’s so cold and, well, the fireplace, Boss - you’re the only person I know who has one.”

Gibbs grunted and turned back to the steaks, and in that instant Tony knew that everything was and would be okay. It turned out that he’d really lucked out, too, because Gibbs had a lot of camping equipment in his garage including cast iron pots and pans, and they were able to boil water over the fire and improvise with the non-working coffee machine after dinner. 

It felt strangely normal to Tony, having a few laughs with Gibbs as they worked together on getting their caffeine fix. The physical closeness and occasional touching required to wrangle the hot water, filter, grinds, and machine was a nice bonus in Tony’s mind, and he caught Gibbs’ eye as their hands reached for and touched the handle of the coffee pot at the same time when the brew was ready.

Instead of shying away, Gibbs kept his hand steady on top of Tony’s and squeezed slightly before pulling away. “Go ahead, Tony,” he said, a small smile lighting his face.

Tony wasn’t exactly sure how to take this small show of physical and verbal affection on Gibbs’ part, because usually all he got was a head slap or an affirming grunt at work, but this was certainly a different situation in so many ways. Gibbs was on home turf and naturally more relaxed, but whenever Tony had visited in the past Gibbs had kept his hands to himself or on the boat, sanding and sawing. This was practically a leap forward for Gibbs. Tony didn’t know what a flirty Gibbs might look like, but he decided he’d take what he could get without pushing for more.

He grabbed two coffee mugs from the cupboard and carefully poured them each some of the liquid gold, then set the coffee pot down and handed one of the mugs to Gibbs. Their hands touched again as the mug passed between them, and Tony met Gibbs’ gaze again and gave him the trademark disarming DiNozzo smile. Tony felt something welling up inside himself, though, some sort of deep gratitude, and he felt the smile really reach his eyes for the first time in ages.

“To us, and surviving the blizzard together,” Tony proposed, lifting his mug up and towards Gibbs. Gibbs clinked mugs carefully with him, the smile still on his face, then opened up a different cupboard door and tossed a box at Tony before taking a big gulp of his strong coffee.

“What’s this? – sugar cubes!” Tony exclaimed, relief clearly visible on his face. No matter how much he might want to impress Gibbs, plain strong black coffee really wasn’t his thing.

“Milk’s in the fridge,” Gibbs said, raising his eyebrows knowingly, before venturing back to the warmth of the living room.

Later on, finally warm and with a full belly, Tony darted outside to the woodpile and loaded up with an armful of logs to see them through the night. When he got back inside, he noticed that Gibbs had moved the couch so that it was closer to the fireplace. There was also a single mattress, presumably from one of the bedrooms upstairs, on the floor between the fireplace and the couch.

Gibbs glanced over at Tony, his face looking all kids of awkward, and motioned to a pile of blankets and sleeping bags in the corner of the room.

“No sense in sleeping upstairs where there’s no heat. I’ll take the couch. Pick whatever’s gonna keep you warm and let’s get some sleep.”

Tony eyed the proximity of the couch to the mattress and silently wondered if he’d get a moment’s sleep knowing Gibbs was mere inches away from him. Then he felt the man’s eyes on him and looked up to find Gibbs’ eyes flickering nervously between him and their sleeping set-up. 

“Thanks, Boss,” Tony squeaked out, not trusting himself to say anything more as Gibbs blew out the candles and they both settled down under separate layers of blankets.

Just as he was finally falling asleep, Tony heard Gibbs mumble, “We’re sleeping a foot away from each other, Tony. Stop calling me ‘Boss.’”

* * * * *

Tony woke to darkness and found he was shivering. The fire was out and the room icy cold, and Gibbs’ quiet, steady, _still asleep_ breathing behind him told Tony he really should have picked one of the insulated mummy sleeping bags like the older man had.

“G-g-g-g-gibbs?” he whispered in the dark, teeth chattering. The dark blob on the couch moved slightly. “C-c-c-c-cold! Fire’s out-t-t-t,” Tony managed to say.

The blob seemed to come awake suddenly. Gibbs was out of the sleeping bag in two seconds and had the fire re-lit and blazing in a matter of minutes. Then he turned to Tony, all business.

“Get up, DiNozzo!” he ordered, his voice heavy with concern.

“But s-s-s-o cold,” Tony complained, not understanding why on earth Gibbs would want him to get out of bed and become even colder.

“Fifty jumping jacks, NOW!” Gibbs barked. “We need to get your core temperature up.” With that, he stalked into the kitchen and came back a few minutes later with a plate of cookies. Tony was begrudgingly out of bed and almost done his jumping jacks by then, and Gibbs thrust the plate of cookies into Tony’s hands the second he finished his impromptu workout. 

“Eat,” Gibbs commanded, then his face softened at Tony’s flummoxed look and he said again, in a softer tone, “Core temperature.”

This more nurturing side of Gibbs was one Tony had not expected to see, especially at some ungodly hour, and it took him a second to respond and take the plate. He picked up one of the cookies and slowly put it into his mouth, contemplating this change. It might be too much to expect Gibbs to come out with “I’m worried about you,” but it was sweet nonetheless. Tony chewed his way through several more before Gibbs looked satisfied and he dared to put down the plate. He had to admit that he was feeling warmer, and cookies never hurt.

“Can I get back into bed now?” he asked tentatively, wondering if Marine-mode Gibbs had any more ideas up his sleeve. Gibbs merely motioned for Tony to get back onto the mattress, and the younger man sighed audibly in relief as he climbed back on and snuggled under the blankets. He settled on his side, facing the fireplace, and welcomed the heat that radiated out towards him.

He nearly jumped up again in shock when, three seconds later, a very warm Jethro Gibbs climbed right in behind him and settled his body along the length of Tony’s. Then he threw an arm casually around Tony’s middle and pulled in close, as if it was something they did every day.

“Core temperature?” was all Tony could get out in a whisper, and Gibbs made a soft _Mmm-hmm_ noise into his hair. His breath tickled at Tony’s ear, and the Very Special Agent wondered how the hell he was supposed to get to sleep now? Gibbs was _spooning_ with him, and practically snuggling up against his head. This was way beyond any expectation he’d showed up at the front door with tonight, and something only ever entertained in his wildest dreams. He wondered if Gibbs would have done this if Abby or McGee had showed up at the door. _Probably Abby,_ he mused. _Maybe McGee. And Ziva would have done some fancy Krav Maga moves before Gibbs even had a chance to explain._

He smiled at that, thinking fondly of his friend back in Israel. Then Gibbs shifted slightly against him, and all thoughts of his other co-workers disappeared.

“You know,” Tony began, desperately trying to hold his voice and heartbeat steady, “I think even calling you ‘Gibbs’ is too formal now.”

Gibbs chuckled at the joke and cuffed Tony gently on the back of his head. “Whatever works,” he said quietly. Then, “Try to get some more sleep, okay?”

Tony was quiet for a moment. Everything was so overwhelming but he definitely was toasty warm now, and very grateful to Gibbs for both his hospitality and his body heat. He tried to push the more salacious thoughts from his mind and focus on getting some good rest.

“Thanks,” he whispered, not knowing if Gibbs would hear him. “For everything,” he added. The crackling fire was the only audible answer he got back from the room, but the arm around his waist wound a bit tighter against him and he drifted back to sleep with a smile on his face.


	2. Chapter 2

The loud _whump_ of snow sliding off the roof and hitting the ground outside the living room window woke Tony with a start. He lifted his head up to find himself staring right at Gibbs slightly stubbly jaw, and he froze when he realized that one of his arms was resting on the man’s stomach. The moment in time was so perfect and so unreal, but he also worried about being _so fired_ if Gibbs woke up with less cuddly inclinations than he had gone to bed with.

“Morning,” Gibbs’ sleepy voice greeted him, and Tony turned his head to see bright blue eyes wide awake and looking back at him.

Tony’s brain tried to convince his body to run out the front door, but he instead managed a weak “Hi” and a shy smile. He was surprised when Gibbs made no effort to move or change their positions, and their joined gaze was soon too intense for Tony so he laid his head back on Gibbs’ shoulder and tried to accept and enjoy the warmth. His insides were in turmoil, though. He didn’t think either of them could make a case for this being a platonic, friendship, _bromance_ -type set-up anymore, and Tony knew _he_ didn’t want to. He just wished he knew what was rattling around in Gibbs’ brain. He knew better than to assume anything, but surely the usually stoic man would have been all business and up and about with the fire and breakfast otherwise? If the man of few words was speaking with actions instead, he had chosen one hell of a time to start.

They lay in companionable but awkward silence for a while. Eventually, nature called and Tony disentangled himself from Gibbs and went to the bathroom. When he got back he found Gibbs out of bed, stoking the fire with one hand while holding a skewer with a slice of bread over it with the other. Tony regarded the older man for a second, half sad that their interesting night had ended and half relieved that Gibbs wasn’t still lying in bed. He still didn’t know where the man stood and any conversations that needed to be had would be easier while not under the covers.

“Breakfast time?” Tony asked and, without looking at him, Gibbs motioned to the loaf of bread next to him in invitation. Tony found another skewer, wrestled a slice of bread onto it, and sat down next to Gibbs in front of the fire. Gibbs finished his toast and put a pot of water on the fire to boil, presumably for some morning coffee.

“You do this much?” he asked after a while, indicating his own bread and skewer as Gibbs pulled the pot of water off the fire. Without Gibbs having to say anything, Tony helped him with the ground coffee, filter, and coffee machine and soon they had two steaming cups of the good stuff in front of them.

“Up at the cabin,” Gibbs replied eventually, giving Tony a brief glance over the brim of his mug. “I’m also quite skilled at toasting the perfect marshmallow.”

Tony caught the flash of a smile that crossed Gibbs face, and he chuckled. “Well, I really appreciate the warm food. If I was still at my place I’d be frozen solid, and trying to heat up water with a barbecue lighter or something. This is infinitely better, and… nice.” He gestured between themselves and the fireplace, hoping to convey his appreciation for Gibbs’ kindness.

Gibbs turned then, and held his gaze for a long moment. “I’m glad you came, Tony,” he said, his blue eyes practically dancing in the firelight. “It _has_ been… nice.” He brought his spare hand up to Tony’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze, then just as quickly dropped his hand back down and broke their gaze. Tony wondered if the moment had become too intense for Gibbs, and his musings proved right when Gibbs jumped to his feet a second later and backed halfway across the room.

“I’m just gonna use the landline to call the emergency work number,” he said, gesturing towards the kitchen, “See if it’s business as usual or a skeleton crew.” Tony gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile, while desperately trying to keep his face neutral. Gibbs was spooked and uncertain, that much he could tell, and Tony knew it wasn’t an emotional place Gibbs was very familiar with. He didn’t want to give him reason to take any figurative steps backward on their friendship or this new, more intimate thing that kept rearing its head… whatever it was. 

Tony ate his toast and sipped absently on his coffee as he listened to Gibbs dial into work, then contemplated the fire some more in the ensuing silence. He found his thoughts drifting into daydream land until something soft but heavy hit him in the middle of the back.

“Hey!” he yelled in surprise, and turned around to find his winter jacket on the floor behind him and Gibbs standing by the front door, smirking.

“Snow day,” Gibbs announced, bending over to pull on his snow pants and boots. “I fed you, you help me shovel our way out of here.” With that, Gibbs zipped up his own jacket and disappeared into the garage. Tony scrambled to his feet, pulled his jacket on, and went to look for the rest of his warm clothing by the front door. Gibbs reappeared two minutes later with a snow shovel and a large garden spade, and Tony opened the front door with a gloved hand.

A vista of white greeted them, the snow outside at least two feet deep and stretching out to the road and beyond. It was apparent that no snow removal trucks had come by yet, and Tony wondered how long it might be before they reached Gibbs’ neighbourhood. Not that he minded, exactly, because it meant he was essentially stuck with Gibbs, but if things did take a turn for the worse between them at any point then it was going to be very awkward. He tried not to think about it, though, and focused instead on shovelling a path from the front door, past the big white mass of the snow-covered truck, out to where he knew the road was. Tony and Gibbs worked well in tandem, Tony shovelling to the right and Gibbs to the left, and a somewhat sweaty hour-and-a-half later the path was cleared.

Gibbs bent down to brush the snow off his pants, and that’s when inspiration struck Tony. He backed up slightly and gathered some snow into his gloves, pressed it into a ball, took aim, and threw. His shot landed, hitting Gibbs squarely on the ass and drawing out what sounded suspiciously like a squeal from the older man. Gibbs straightened up and turned around slowly, his eyes narrowed and lips pursed. Tony had no idea if he was actually pissed off or not, but he didn’t care. It had been too fun to resist.

“That’s payback for throwing my coat at me,” he shouted up the driveway, a purposeful air of flippant arrogance to his tone.

He thought he saw Gibbs eyes crease even further together, and decided to taunt Gibbs a bit more. He was having way too good a time with this.

“What, can’t take the heat, _Jethro_?” he called, gathering up another handful of snow. 

Gibbs stood up straighter and brought his hands to rest on his hips. “You’re messing with the snowball-throwing king of Stillwater, DiNozzo,” Gibbs cautioned, his voice a deep but teasing growl. Tony threw his new snowball anyway, and Gibbs deftly deflected is with his right forearm. Then, with surprising speed, he was around the back side of the truck and behind cover. Tony stood down at the bottom of the driveway, completely exposed, and wondered if he should stay put or make a run for it.

The first snowball from behind the truck decided it for him. He didn’t even see it coming against the white sky, and it hit him with a solid _thunk_ in the chest. He let out a yelp and bolted for the tree in the front yard, laughing all the way, and was hit by three more snowballs in the back before he made it through the deep snow and found cover behind it. He started making snowballs as fast as he could, but after about a minute he was hit by a snowball despite being out of sight of the truck. He looked up and spied Gibbs dug into the snow several feet off the driveway… and several feet nearer to the tree.

“Bastard!” he yelled, and threw a snowball desperately in Gibbs’ general direction before he shifted backwards around the tree. _Trust the former marine sniper to change position for the best tactical advantage,_ he thought. Tony had to keep moving, because the snowballs kept coming and they kept coming harder and faster, and he knew that meant that Gibbs was getting closer. He threw a few when he had a second to spare, but he was largely occupied with his arms in front of his face, trying to fend off the cold onslaught. 

Eventually it got ridiculous and he decided to make a run for the house. He waited until the most direct route between him and the front door was clear, and then made his way as quickly as possible through the snow. He knew he looked like a member of the Ministry of Silly Walks as he alternately jumped and quick-shuffled his way through the snow, but there was no helping it.

He made it halfway there before being tackled to the ground in a surprise attack, and Gibbs quickly flipped him over only to smash a snowball right into his face. Tony spluttered and swiped the snow away with his gloves, before recovering and looking up into the piercing blue eyes of his assailant – eyes that were barely a foot away from his. He stilled then, two feet deep in white stuff with Gibbs straddling him, as his mind flashed back to a strikingly similar situation in Baltimore when they had first met. Of course, he had been the one on top then, but he had to admit that he kind of liked Gibbs like this, on top and taking charge. Tony also realized, with startling clarity, that he had been harbouring these feeling for Gibbs since that day. Of course they were a lot different, a lot stronger now than they had started off, but his brain connected the dots over the years and he couldn’t help but gasp at all the things he hadn’t even known he was denying all along.

“You okay, Tony?” Gibbs asked with concern at the younger man’s wide eyes and faraway expression, and Tony focused back on Gibbs’ face as their frosty breath caressed each others’ cheeks.

“B-Baltimore,” Tony whispered, and he was glad his face was already red from the cold so it didn’t give his thoughts away. “This is like the reverse of Baltimore.” He managed what he hoped was a casual-but-flirty smile at Gibbs, and the older man’s expressive eyes grew wide as well, presumably as he too took a trip down memory lane. Then Gibbs grinned.

“Yeah, well, I like it better on top.” Gibbs gave Tony a wink and pushed off of him, and left his Senior Field Agent staring breathlessly after him as he waded through the snow and up the front steps of his house.

Tony could hardly believe what Gibbs had just said. His stomach did a few nervous flips as he allowed himself to entertain the idea that maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t imagining things and Gibbs was really interested. Taking it slow as molasses, but interested. Tony didn’t know how else to interpret Gibbs’ better-on-top comment aside from the sexual innuendo it suggested, and the spark of hope that had been lit during the night flared brighter inside him. He jumped up and brushed the snow off himself, a wide smile on his face the entire time, and followed Gibbs into the house.


	3. Chapter 3

The interior of the house was dark after the bright white of outside, and it took Tony’s eyes a while to adjust to the dim light. He fumbled towards the coat stand next to the front door, managed to get his jacket onto it, and turned towards the living room only to walk right into a shirtless Gibbs.

“Oooff!” Tony let out his breath at the impact, and Gibbs grabbed at Tony’s shoulders to steady both of them. Tony couldn’t help but let his eyes wander over Gibbs’ torso, and as he lifted his eyes up he noticed that he was being watched in return. He felt as if something unspoken passed between them when their eyes met, as if their cards were finally being laid on the proverbial table, and it was a good ten seconds before Gibbs tore his gaze away and cleared his throat.

“The hot water tank uses natural gas,” he began in explanation, looking everywhere but at Tony, “so we’re still good as far as showering goes. I’ll let you know when I’m done.” He disappeared up the stairs and Tony wandered over to the couch and dropped down onto it, flustered and decidedly turned on. 

Gibbs was in the shower, right now, somewhere right above him. Gibbs, who he’d just had an eyeful of, who’d caught him taking a long look and hadn’t flinched.

Tony shook his head to clear his thoughts, and glanced down to see an obvious tent in his pants.

“Shit,” he mumbled. _Margaret Thatcher naked on a cold day_ may have worked for Austin Powers, but all it made him think of was his current reality of Gibbs naked on a cold day. He was running through recent crime scenes in his mind, trying to calm his body down, when he heard the water shut off upstairs and a muffled “ _Tony_!” being called. He rose slowly from the couch, grabbed his backpack, and made his way cautiously up the stairs, not sure of what he’d find at the top.

The door to Gibbs’ bedroom was the only one open, so Tony peeked his head around the corner. The bedroom itself was dark but the en suite bathroom was lit by the glow of a half dozen candles, and there was Gibbs, clad in a clean pair of sweatpants and towelling off his hair. 

Tony knew his jaw had dropped open slightly but he didn’t care. The scene was simply entrancing. When Gibbs looked up and saw him at the door, Tony couldn’t help but walk towards him, his body seeming to move of its own volition. The hot, steamy air, romantic candles, and still-shirtless Gibbs were almost his undoing, but Gibbs pressed a towel into his hands and brushed slowly past him and out of the bathroom without a word. It took Tony a full minute to regain his composure, and when he turned to close the bathroom door behind him he knew that Gibbs was back downstairs again. He stripped down and climbed into the shower, and let out a long sigh as he leaned against the cool tiles while the hot water pummeled against his body. The temptation to jerk himself off in Gibbs shower was huge, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. It felt like there was unspoken, unfinished business between them, and it needed to be cleared up one way or the other before he took anything in hand, literally or figuratively.

Ten minutes later he was clean and dry, his hair smelling like Gibbs’ shampoo and his body smelling like Gibbs’ soap, and his thoughts were even more out of control than before. He knew that walking around with _eau de Gibbs_ was not going to help matters, but there was no getting around it. Tony gave up on styling his hair without gel, and decided his mussed-up bedhead look would have to do. He searched through his backpack and pulled on a pair of tight-fitting jeans and a NCIS hoodie, then went looking for Gibbs downstairs.

He found the man sitting on the couch and staring into the fire. The light flickered across his face, and shadows fought for ground in the grooves and lines of his brooding expression. Tony watched for a few seconds, unseen, and he wondered for the umpteenth time what was going through Gibbs’ head.

Gibbs turned and spotted Tony leaning against the wall by the bottom of the stairs, and a tight smile crossed his face. It was the kind of smile that left you wondering if you were in Gibbs’ good books or in trouble, and Tony decided he didn’t want to find out just yet.

“Can I grab you a beer?” Tony asked, smiling at Gibbs as he headed across the room towards the kitchen.

“Sure,” Gibbs answered, and Tony could feel his eyes following him all the way through the door.

Tony opened the fridge and surveyed its contents, then reached for two bottles of specialty pale ale near the back. He had moved to the side of the fridge and placed the bottles on the kitchen counter to have a better look at the labels when the fridge door suddenly slammed closed next to him. He spun around only to come face to face with Gibbs, who placed his hands on the counter on either side of Tony, effectively trapping him.

Tony looked at him, wide-eyed, as Gibbs stared him down from three inches away. He was aware of their arms touching, and as he was drawn into Gibbs’ stormy blue eyes he felt his boss move even closer so their chests were touching too.

“Gibbs….” Tony breathed out, speechless for once.

“I thought you said that was too formal.” Gibbs’ voice was teasing, but his eyes remained tormented.

“Jethro,” Tony whispered. Then, “What are we doing?”

It was out, and there was no taking it back. He knew he couldn’t take the mixed messages from Gibbs – _Jethro_ – any longer, especially when all he wanted to do was lean forward and kiss the man. He also knew, however, that his boss had to be the one to do it. He needed to know where the older man stood, needed him to say what he wanted out of this before Tony made himself any more vulnerable.

Gibbs shocked the hell out of him.

“I don’t do casual,” he said, looking at Tony intently. It was straightforward, concise, and said everything Tony needed to know in just four words.

“I don’t want casual,” Tony shot back confidently, hoping that he was conveying everything Gibbs needed to hear and understand about his intentions too.

They gazed at each other for another few seconds before Gibbs said, “Alright,” as if things were decided. Then he brought his right hand up to cup Tony’s let cheek, leaned forwards, and kissed Tony tentatively, their lips meeting in a light touch. He drew back after a moment and Tony smiled shyly at him, his head whirling at the realization of what had just happened and what was likely to come. Gibbs returned Tony’s shy smile with one of his own, but then his gaze shifted as if buoyed by new confidence, and Tony found he was being looked at the way a lion eyes up a gazelle. There was hunger in Gibbs’ eyes, and it made Tony blush. He wasn’t used to being pursued, and he found it terribly thrilling and arousing, especially given that it was Gibbs in front of him.

He met Gibbs’ gaze with an equally lusty one, and the dam wall seemed to break. Tony found himself pressed up against the counter as Gibbs lips crashed onto his. There was nothing tentative about it this time, and he brought his arms up and around Gibbs’ waist as he opened his mouth to Gibbs’ exploring tongue. Gibbs ran his hands down Tony’s chest and then up underneath his hoodie, and his warm, rough hands felt exquisite as they traced lines over his body. He felt Gibbs’ right thigh press into his groin urgently, and Tony couldn’t help but thrust back. He had no idea Gibbs would be like this, zero to sixty in a matter of seconds, but it seemed to fit perfectly with all their pent-up frustration and he was more than happy to ride the wave.

The friction between them was sublime, but Tony wanted more. He shifted slightly and brought a hand down to palm Gibbs’ erection through his sweatpants. Gibbs pressed into his hand and let out a low moan, and Tony followed suit a few seconds later as Gibbs battled with the button and zipper on his jeans. The anticipation was killing him, and he was grateful it was overshadowing his nervousness. It seemed perfectly normal and natural to finally be taking this step with Gibbs, but in the back of his mind Tony knew that this was still a brand new step for him, sexually-speaking. He wondered if it was the same for his partner, but those musings flew out the window the second that Gibbs’ warm hand closed around his hard cock and stroked experimentally up and down.

“Oh my God,” Tony breathed out, and Gibbs paused to look at him.

“You okay?” Gibbs asked, concern and arousal warring on his face.

“Yeah. Um, just didn’t realize I would be that close that quickly,” he offered, a tad embarrassed.

Gibbs pressed his mouth to Tony’s briefly, then rested his forehead against Tony’s. “You and me both,” he sighed, then continued, “Look, as long as we’re confessing… you’re the first guy I’ve been with and, well, this is one hell of a turn-on.”

Tony pulled back and grinned shyly at Gibbs. “This is new for me too. What a relief - we can be clumsy together.”

“I don’t know, Tony,” Gibbs looked at him with eyebrows raised, “You seemed to be _handling_ things just fine.” He brought his lips back to those of the Very Special Agent’s and his hand started working Tony’s cock again with smooth, measured strokes. 

Tony knew he wouldn’t last much longer and wanted to make the most of the time he had left. He brought his hand up to the waistband of Gibbs’ jeans and slipped his fingers under it, then slid them further down through the wiry patch of hair until they found the base of Gibbs’ erection. He grasped his hand around it firmly and pulled upwards, and it was Gibbs’ turn to offer up a profanity. Tony could feel pressure building inside him as he and Gibbs’ worked each other’s cocks, and when it was almost too much Gibbs seemed to sense it as well. He pressed his mouth firmly to Tony’s and they shared a wanton kiss as their bodies shuddered together in unison and their hands slowly stilled. The kiss morphed into something more sensuous and intimate, and it was almost a minute before they pulled apart and glanced down at their mutually sticky hands and wrecked clothing.

Gibbs wordlessly grabbed some paper towel from the counter next to Tony and tore them each a few pieces. After things were cleaned up as best they could, Gibbs led Tony up to his bedroom and found them both some clean pants. Tony took his cue from Gibbs and stripped down his bottom half, and he realized somewhat bashfully that it was the first time they had actually got a look at each other. They had been all hands and mouths earlier, and the kitchen had been rather dark anyway.

He had liked what he felt, and he really liked what he saw. He felt Gibbs eyes on him as he checked the older man out, and he saw Gibbs smile out of the corner of his eye as they both pulled their clean pants on. He knew he wasn’t exactly being subtle, ogling his boss, but he figured he had the right to enjoy and show appreciation for the fine scenery.

Gibbs moved towards Tony and enveloped him in a surprisingly gentle hug, and Tony relished their newfound closeness. When Gibbs pulled back, it was to place a gentle kiss on his lips, and he let it linger there before he stepped back and took both of Tony’s hands in his.

“Best blizzard ever, I think,” he observed softly, and Tony smiled back at him.

“Definitely.” Then, “Why now, though, Jethro? Why today? And, by the way, it still feels really weird calling you that.”

Gibbs chuckled. “A lot of this feels really weird to me, too. Weird but good. Let’s talk where it’s warmer though. My toes are starting to freeze.” He turned towards the door and gave a tug on Tony’s hand, and they descended to the living room together.


	4. Chapter 4

Gibbs grabbed one of the blankets off the floor and motioned for Tony to sit on the couch. He sat down next to Tony and laid the blanket over them, then put a tentative hand on Tony’s thigh. Tony felt electricity spark between them and he put his hand on Gibbs’ thigh too, desperate for more contact now that he knew it wouldn’t send his boss running for the hills.

“I admire and appreciate everything about you, Tony, and I know I don’t show or say it often enough,” Gibbs began quietly, as he stared towards the fireplace. “You’ve become irreplaceable to me over the years, as a member of my team and as a friend. And today… I don’t know. I’ve had some confusing feelings for you for a while and couldn’t figure out what they were about until things basically _had_ to get more intimate last night. And then I had a lightbulb moment. My first instinct was to run, but there was nowhere to go. So I had to face it and, well, here we are.”

It took a few moments for Tony to process what Gibbs had said, given that it was just about the most sentences he’d ever heard the man string together at once. He squeezed Gibbs leg with his hand in what he hoped was an encouraging manner, and tried to formulate a response of his own.

“I didn’t come here just because you had a fireplace – you’re also the only person I could imagine being stuck in a house with for a long time.” Tony grinned, thinking how he might have killed McGee and how Abby might have killed him.

“It started off as an admiration thing with me too, although I’ve always thought you were ridiculously hot.” He turned his head and looked pointedly at Gibbs, whose grin was wide. “The more I got to know you, the more I knew our connection was special even just in a platonic sense. I mean, I didn’t want to dwell on anything else because it was dangerous to the job and to our friendship. And then you started giving me these intense looks when you thought I wasn’t watching, and this weekend was mixed signals galore.”

“Yeah….” Gibbs agreed.

“I’ve never tried so hard to be patient and _not_ flirt in my entire life,” Tony sounded exasperated but his tone was light. “It goes against every fibre of my being, you know,” he joked, and Gibbs actually snorted. “You _had_ to make the first move, and wow! You did _not_ disappoint….” he trailed off, as his eyes came to rest on Gibbs’ lips. The newfound freedom to _look_ and to _do_ was enthralling, and so he took in the heart-warming picture of Gibbs wrapped up with him and leaned forward to capture Gibbs’ lips with his own. It was a soft, sweet moment that held so much promise as well as ten thousand butterflies in Tony’s stomach.

He drew back after a moment, and breathed out heavily. “Wow. I still can’t believe this is happening.”

“Me neither,” Gibbs responded huskily, “But I’m glad.” He put his arms around Tony and pulled the younger man on top of him as he lay down on the couch.

This time the meeting of their lips was tender but powerful, and their tongues tangled together in a provocative dance. Tony could feel a warmth spreading through his body as his hands ventured under Gibbs’ sweatshirt and mapped out the contours of his body. Gibbs ran his fingers through Tony’s hair and down to his neck, let them sit there a while as he kissed Tony senseless. It wasn’t long before both men were worked up and grinding against each other, and respective hoodies and sweatshirts were tossed unceremoniously onto the floor.

Tony pulled back to tug at the top of Gibbs’ sweatpants, and he pulled them down just far enough to let Gibbs’ erection spring free. He took a moment to take it all in, the fact that they were he in Gibbs’ living room, half naked, and he was contemplating going down on the man.

“You don’t have to….” Gibbs had lifted his head up and was watching Tony with concern. Tony smiled reassuringly back at him.

“Not to sound creepy, Jethro, but I’ve dreamed of doing this for a while now. The execution may need some practice, but I want to taste you.” With that, he dipped his head down and took an experimental swipe along Gibbs’ length with the tip of his tongue. Gibbs’ cock was warm and velvety smooth, and Tony swirled his tongue around the head before he took Gibbs fully into his mouth. He marvelled at the amazing sensation, and heard a strangled growl escape from Gibbs mouth as he began working his way down and up. He could feel his own rock-hard erection pressing against Gibbs’ leg, and he made the most of the friction by pressing in closer, seeking some release.

It wasn’t long before Tony felt Gibbs’ hand in his hair. “Tony, stop!” Gibbs urged, his breathing ragged as he lifted his head to look at his lover. Tony paused, then lifted his head slowly and gave Gibbs an evil grin.

“Yes…?” he responded coyly.

Gibbs moved his hand to put it on Tony’s forearm, and squeezed lightly. “That feels… incredible. But I _need_ you, Tony,” he pleaded, his feelings laid bare in his wild eyes. “I need all of you.”

Tony felt a shiver run through his whole body at those words, at all they meant and all they promised. It only took him a second to respond, and he moved up to capture Gibbs’ lips with his own in a searing kiss that left both men gasping for breath.

“Are you sure?” Gibbs asked as he kissed his way along Tony’s jaw, then moved lower to suck on a sensitive spot on his neck.

“God… yes!” Tony managed to get out, as he struggled to keep himself in check. He could feel his cock sliding against Gibbs’ through the material of his pants, and it was better than anything he could have imagined. This was Gibbs. Gibbs! He tore himself away from Gibbs’ wandering mouth, looked down into his eyes seriously, and spoke the only words he could trust himself to get out. 

“I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life, Jethro.”

“Good.” Gibbs pressed his lips up to Tony’s quickly and firmly, then expertly flipped the man off the couch and onto the mattress still on the floor next to it. Then, “Be right back.” He stood, pulled his pants back on properly, and disappeared up the stairs. Tony could guess at what he might come down with and it sent a tingle along his spine and to all the right places. He didn’t know what this experience was going to be like, but he was in it with Gibbs and that was what mattered.

Gibbs re-appeared a minute later, holding a box of Kleenex, a bottle of lube, and a condom packet, and he looked a bit shy. “I didn’t know what we might need,” he said by way of explanation as he set the items next to their makeshift bed, and Tony quickly pulled him down on top of himself and gave Gibbs a reassuring kiss.

“How do you want to do this?” Gibbs asked more confidently, emboldened by Tony’s response.

Tony looked up at Gibbs, his eyes half-glazed and filled with emotion. “I want you inside me, Jethro. I need to feel you, every part of you.” And then, because he was Tony and Tony never resisted making a joke, his eyes gained some clarity and sparkled mischievously as he said, “Besides, Jethro, I thought you liked it better on top?”

He watched the side of Gibbs mouth curved up in a smirk, and Tony felt like the weight of the whole situation was suddenly lightened.

“You, uh, been with anyone since the blood tests for our yearly physical last month?” Gibbs asked, and when Tony shook his head ‘no’ Gibbs picked up the condom foil and tossed it unceremoniously across the room.

“No barriers, then,” he said, deciding for both of them. He smiled down at Tony, and Tony met his gaze with a strong, certain smile of his own.

“Come here,” Tony said simply, and Gibbs seemed more than happy to comply. He pressed his lips to Tony’s, and then nipped at his bottom lip until Tony moaned and opened his mouth. The kiss quickly became frenzied, and Tony thrust his body up as he felt Gibbs grind his hips downwards. The heat and power of their bodies pressing together got Tony more and more wound up, and he managed to shuck both his and Gibbs’ pants in a matter of seconds. It was almost too much when he felt Gibbs’ hand on his erection again, and when Gibbs started moving his head south Tony protested.

“I’m gonna be done in all of three seconds if you keep that up,” he warned, but Gibbs kept right on going. Tony felt the soft, wet heat of Gibbs mouth envelop his cock, and his hands grabbed at Gibbs’ shoulders as the man worked his way up and down, and swirled his tongue around him in a maddening fashion. He saw Gibbs grab for the bottle of lube out of the corner of his eye, and moments later one of Gibbs’ fingers started tracing around and over his entrance, mimicking the pattern of his mouth. Tony felt like his body was on fire, and the added sensations and the knowledge that it was Gibbs making him feel like this were overwhelming.

He soon felt Gibbs’ finger pressing gently into him, and then a second one joined it.

“You okay?” Gibbs asked, stopping to look up at Tony.

Tony could barely pull his thoughts together to reply, but managed to nod in affirmation. When Gibbs began working his fingers in and out of his hole, he couldn’t help but whisper “Oh my _God_!”, and he felt Gibbs’ mouth smile around his cock. When felt heat pooling in his groin he pushed at Gibbs’ head and pleaded with him to stop.

“I need you inside me. Now!” he urged.

Gibbs pulled himself back up to kiss Tony thoroughly, then wiped his hand on some tissues and grabbed the bottle of lube again.

“Let me.” Tony sat up, took the bottle from Gibbs, and popped the cap off. He squirted some into his hand and wrapped his fingers around Gibbs’ cock, and began moving up and down with sure, firm strokes. He could see Gibbs watching his hand, and then watched his eyes close as he sighed with pleasure.

“Enough,” Gibbs said quietly, and he opened his eyes again to look directly into Tony’s. Then, “You let me know if I need to stop, okay?”

“Okay. Let’s do this.” Tony leaned forward and gave Gibbs a quick kiss, then lay down again. Gibbs picked up the bottle of lube and drizzled some onto Tony’s cock, and began stroking him with one hand as he moved himself to line up with Tony’s entrance. Tony shifted his hips up and tried not to tense as he felt the head of Gibbs’ cock brush against him. Gibbs slowly pressed forward, and Tony gritted his teeth slightly as his cock started sliding into him. It hurt, there was no doubt about it, but he tried to remember the delicious feelings of Gibbs’ fingers earlier and, together with Gibbs hand which was still working its own magic around his cock, he was suitably distracted.

Tony felt Gibbs stop moving, and revelled in the full feeling that their joined bodies presented. He gazed up at his lover, and the whispered “Jethro” that escaped his mouth was all the permission Gibbs needed. He pulled back, and then thrust slowly forwards.

“God, Tony, you feel…,” Gibbs trailed off as he began thrusting harder and faster. Tony could only moan, pure need and desire taking over any higher functions as he watched Gibbs move against him, in him, on him. He felt his eyes involuntarily close as the sensations consumed him and the pressure built within him again.

“Jethro, I…,” was all he got out before his orgasm hit, rocking him to the core in its intensity. He bucked up towards Gibbs, who pressed into Tony with even more fervor as his own pleasure reached a crescendo. Suddenly Gibbs cried out too, buried to the hilt in Tony, and rode his own orgasm to its finish.

Tony cracked an eye open and watched as Gibbs did the same. He saw a smile pulling at the corner of Gibbs’ mouth, and gave up on trying to hide the grin that had been threatening to take over his own face.

“Wow,” he observed, as he reached out a hand to his lover and pulled Gibbs on top of him. “That was something else.”

“Practice makes perfect,” Gibbs said as he nuzzled a spot on Tony’s neck.

“Oh, well then we’d better make sure we practice a whole lot more this weekend,” Tony noted, as he let his hand run through Gibbs’ hair. “I gotta say, though, Jethro – who knew you were such a cuddler?”

Gibbs lifted his head and levelled his best glare at Tony. “One word of that gets out and you’re dead, DiNozzo!”

* * * * *

Tony woke up to a freezing cold room again, but this time he was nice and warm. It took a second for him to come out of his sleepy haze enough remember _why_ he was so cozy, and a silly grin lit up his face. He snuggled backwards into Gibbs, and heard him mumble something in his sleep as his arm shifted around Tony and pulled him unconsciously closer.

Bliss. This must be the epitome of the word, Tony decided – naked and warm and snuggled up with Gibbs on a frosty morning. He certainly couldn’t imagine anything better… well, apart from what they’d done yesterday… several times. He still found it hard to believe all the things that had happened in the past two days. Jethro was his boss, his friend, and now his lover, but he had also surprised Tony with his thoughtfulness and his way with words, of all things.

Tony had only dared to hope at what might truly lie under Gibbs’ gruff exterior. He had known that the man cared about him in his own way, and had certainly seen glimpses of tenderness, but their talks in the basement had usually been Tony needing to vent or share and not the other way around. Laying themselves bare, both literally and figuratively, had been quite the revelation.

A light head slap shocked Tony out of his reverie, and he swore under his breath.

“Stop thinking so loudly,” Gibbs mumbled into the back of his neck. Gibbs apparently decided he liked the spot, though, because he proceeded to place several light kisses there before he propped himself up on his elbow to look at Tony. Tony was more than happy to lie on his back and gaze up into Gibbs’ piercing blue eyes.

“Hey,” Tony said in greeting.

“Hey yourself,” Gibbs smiled down at him. “Sleep well?”

The Cheshire cat grin that fixed itself to Tony’s face negated the need for any sort of verbal response, so Gibbs simply said, “Me too.” He slipped out of the covers, re-lit the fire and put a few decent-size logs on, then climbed back in with Tony.

“So…,” Tony began, as his grin faded slightly and a look of vulnerability flashed through his eyes, “Monday morning. What happens then? I mean, Rule 12 got shredded yesterday and I’m not exactly ready to share this, you know?”

Gibbs appeared to consider things for a few seconds, then responded by kissing Tony’s forehead. “I’m not ready either, and goodness knows Leon will have my head if he hears about it before you and I have figured things out. Let’s just take it one day at a time, keep the PDA at work to a minimum and we should be good for a while.”

“Speak for yourself,” Tony teased him. “I’m gonna have a hard time, and I do mean a _hard_ time, doing that every day with your fine ass sitting across from me.”

The smouldering look Gibbs shot him went straight to Tony’s groin. “Oh, I’m counting on it.”


End file.
